In the pre-dawn hours of September 14, 2022, a burst of gunfire on Interstate 95 tragically ended the life of 31-year-old Earl Gayle, a Black/African American man. Gayle was the front-seat passenger in a 2013 Infiniti G37, traveling southbound through Connecticut with two other men, when another vehicle pulled alongside and opened fire. The trio had been driving from Bridgeport when the violent encounter occurred.
The driver of the Infiniti, 29-year-old Jovel McKenzie, was grazed by a bullet on his right shoulder. Another passenger, 28-year-old Rashawn McCalla, who was in the back seat, was critically injured in the barrage of bullets. Despite his own injury, McKenzie managed to drive the car off the highway at Exit 10 in Darien. At approximately 3:42 a.m., he flagged down a Darien police sergeant near the intersection of Noroton Avenue and Maple Street to report the shooting. Emergency services were immediately dispatched to the scene.
All three occupants of the car were suffering from gunshot wounds. Earl Gayle was rushed to Stamford Hospital, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead. McCalla was also transported to the hospital, where he underwent surgery and was later reported to be in stable condition. McKenzie, the driver, declined medical treatment for his superficial wound.
The Connecticut State Police, including the Western District Major Crimes Squad, took charge of the investigation. They closed a section of I-95 southbound for hours to search for evidence, ultimately recovering ten shell casings south of the Exit 16 on-ramp in Norwalk. Investigators have stated they believe the shooting was an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing threat to the public. However, as of the latest reports, no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Earl Gayle, and no suspects have been publicly identified. Authorities have appealed to the public for any information or dashcam footage that could help them solve the case.
